Field
This disclosure relates to cinematography and, in particular, to stereographic recording of three-dimensional motion pictures.
Description of the Related Art
Historically, cinematic recording was done using film cameras to record visual images and tape recorders or other audio recording devices to record the accompanying sound. The overall cinematic production was divided into individual scenes, and each scene was typically recorded repeatedly, with each recording referred to as a “take”. A device commonly called a “slate” or “clapperboard” was used to document, or “mark”, each “take” to ensure that the image and sound recordings could be properly synchronized. To begin recording a take, information identifying the particular scene and take was written on the slate and the slate was placed in front of the film camera. With the film camera and the audio recorder running, an operator would read the content of the slate aloud to transfer the content of the slate to the audio recording. The operator would then close a bar, or “clapper”, pivotally attached to the slate to produce both a visual image and a distinct clapping sound. Subsequently, a film editor would synchronize the audio and image recordings by manually locating the image frame where the clapper closed and manually adjusting the playback of the audio recording such that sound of the clapper was coincident with the image of the clapper closing.
While modern video recorders are fully capable of recording multiple audio channels, the image and audio portions of a cinematic production are commonly recorded on separate devices to allow independent processing, editing and augmentation. The technique for synchronizing the audio and video recording has evolved. Current, a single device (typically an audio recorder) provides a time code which is embedded in each audio recording. The time code is also provided to the slate, commonly by a wireless link. The running time code is displayed on the slate prior to the start of recording. The displayed time code is frozen for a few seconds when the clapper is closed, such that the image recording captures the exact time code when the clapper was closed. To synchronize the image and audio recordings, an editor manually locates the first image frame showing the clapper closed and then provides the captured time code to the audio recorder or recorders. Modern cinematic slates may also allow information defining the scene, take, and other parameters to be entered and displayed electronically.
In some cases, a take may be “tail marked”, which means the take is marked after the recording is finished. In this case, the slate is conventionally held upside down in front of the camera to ensure that the “tail mark” cannot be confused with the mark for the next take recorded.
Descriptive information relating to each take is conventionally recorded in a log and/or a “camera sheet”. The descriptive information may be recorded on paper or through manual data entry to a computing device.
Throughout this description, elements appearing in block diagrams are assigned three-digit reference designators, where the most significant digit is the figure number and the two least significant digits are specific to the element. An element that is not described in conjunction with a figure may be presumed to have the same characteristics and function as a previously-described element having a reference designator with the same least significant digits.